The Challenge He'd Been Waiting For

INTRODUCTION:

Touring.

A small word that had many meanings or a few interpretations. Some who've never toured see it as a godly thing, non-stop partying and entertainment. Other will look forward to the endless supply of the opposite gender and all the alcohol in the world to blame their actions on. Few will enjoy the freedom of the open road or all the sights they're catching.

Those who have toured may see it as the same thing, but there are a few that see it as a burden, not a lifestyle. That few know that they'll be away from their family for birthdays and holidays, not being able to take part in family traditions. Or its that they hate being trapped on a moving vehicle where you can't roam around, barely get to shower, eating junk all day, and sleeping on tight bunks with little padding and only a curtain for privacy. Maybe it's being pack in all those conditions with at least three other smelly people.

(I'm not trying to sell they idea of touring to you, make you hate it or love it -- no, I'm giving you an incite on the band I'm about to mention so you can understand their lives.)

All Time Low.

A band with four members, and the fans dubbing the crew members to be equally if not more important. Musicians that manage to grow around their obstacles but still remain themselves in their private shell of family and friends. A band that is constantly rising in the charts, on MTV frequently, fighting to be well-known on the radio; they're ready to take the world by storm in any way that we allow them to.

Alex. Jack. Rian. Zack.

The members of All Time Low. The boys that have been around the world on tours to fill their many fans with love and joy. Sharing many life stories and lessons to those who pay attention to lyrics or interviews. Model-like boys who were living their dream while managing to keep ties with the people from their hometown(s) in Maryland.

(The next part is what they don't share wit the fans, not because they don't want to, but because they have to. For it took them awhile to get it through to the people around them, that love them; and because they don't want to selfishly sacrifice their band.)

Homosexual. Bisexual. Gay.

Three words that Alex and Jack shied away from calling themselves, thought they supported anyone who did. The boys felt no reason to change or label their sexuality because they fell in love with someone of the same gender. Alex and Jack never had an interest in another man, and they never intended to; another reason not to bother with labels. So those words held no meaning to their four year relationship.

Love.

It can't see a thing, it doesn't ever plan to. It simply fills one heart with warmth in hope that another will follow in suit. No one has a say in who they fall in love with, it's all apart of their destiny and search for their soul mate.

STORY:

Alex swung his legs over his bunk, crossing the narrow carpet and pushing aside the curtain of the bunk across from his. His eyes fell on a sleeping figure, black hair askew and a beard hinting at his jawline. The caramel haired boy leaned forward, aligning his head over his boyfriend's before climbing onto him.

Beneath him, Jack still laid asleep, having adapted to movement from the bumpy journeys of touring. Slowly, Alex pressed his lips against the sleeping boy, causing him to wake. His eyes remained closed, but his arms snaked up the shirtless boy's back.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty."

Jack smiled, "G'morning my handsome Prince."

Flyzik walked into the bunk area and rolled his eyes, pulling Jack's curtian forward to cover them, "Get a room guys, save us the images of you two in bed."

"Oh, one day you guys will come into the bus too soon after a party and you won't have to imagine," Rian muttered as he leaned against the doorway, "never again," he announced before putting his toothbrush back into his mouth and walking into the bathroom.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Alex pulled back the curtain and looked at his tour manager, "You'll want to join, Rian did."

"He was drunk," the boy beneath him interjected.

"The drunk mind says what the able mind is too afraid to, you lose all your morals."

Gaskarth climbed off his boyfriend and walked to the front of the bus, snatching up the cup of coffee with his initials and lifting it up as a thank you to Danny K. The guitar tech smiled before walking out of the room with his own cup in hand.

"Okay, you guys have a signing at the Glamour Kills tent at four, and you play at seven," Matt bellowed so everyone could hear, "Vinny needs help getting the totes to the merch table because of us arriving late; whoever is last out of the bus buys all of us breakfast."

Alex grabbed his basketball shorts and pulled them up over his boxers before slipping on his flip-flops and walking out the door, his coffee still in hand as he carried one of the totes. Rian and Zack scurried behind him, Merrick holding more boxes than anyone, to show off to any of the female merchers who were watching. Jack left the bus last, annoyed, as Matt told him he was to buy the food.

"It's not my fault, Rian was hogging the bathroom -- working on those already perfect teeth."

"Its always something with you Barakat, tomorrow you will that say someone hid your contacts and you need them."

Jack absent-mindedly pushed his glasses up his nose, "I'm not afraid to wear my glasses, and that's not true, Rian is a legitimate excuse."

The lanky boy hushed when he felt a hand on his lower back, when he turned, he didn't spot his boyfriend, but Cassadee. She smiled at him, her freckles meshing as she scrunched up her nose in the process. Before speaking she brushed her blonde streak from her eyes.

"So Jack, how was vacation?"

He picked up a box and started to walk, she followed so he spoke, "It was okay I guess, yours?"

"My boyfriend broke up with me," she informed him, searching his eyes for an emotion, "he said I was gone too much to keep a healthy relationship, but that comes with dating a lead singer, ya'know?"

"That sucks," Jack agreed, placing the box of merch down and turning to look at her again, sensing that she was testing the water between them.

Alex was leaning against one of the merch tent's support beams, growing agitated from the look in Cassadee's eyes ad the way she was migrating closer to his boyfriend as they spoke. He cleared his throat, not catching anyone but Vinny's attention. Everyone was engrossed in the chocolate haired girl, waiting to see how far she would go or to see when Jack would step away.

Cass brushed her hair back again, realizing that it had fallen in her face while she was talking. Still not sure if Jack was ignoring her hints or not catching them, she decided to be blunt and ask more openly.

"So, you've got someone back home missing you?"

"My family," he replied stepping away from her, acting like he wanted his coffee.

"Jack's taken," Alex said when he saw the girl open her mouth again to speak, everyone turned to look at him, "well, at least his heart his," he attempted to cover his outburst.

"By who?" she asked, blinking her puppy dog eyes.

"No one special," Jack told her, earning a glare form his boyfriend.

Everyone just stared at one another in the awkward silence that followed, finally causing the lead singer to wave her hand and wonder off to her own tent. Jack turned around and caught the fire in Alex's eyes before he could mask it.

"How long were you going to beat around the bush? She's clearly into you."

"I can't tell anyone that I'm in a relationship, people will want to know with who. That's why we're telling everyone we're single, remember Alex?"

"I'm sorry, she was just all over you, it was bothering me. I'm not used to people openly sizing you up when they're not fans."

Jack cupped his boyfriend's cheek and whispered, "You don't have to worry, because I only want you, no one else."

Flyzik scrunched up his face, "I leave when they get mushy, so that's my queue. Remember, four and seven, those are your call times, be sober and present, all I have to ask."

"So Jack," the bassist said with a smile, "I'm hungry."

With a grumble the lanky boy felt his pocket for his wallet, "Let's go find some food."